


ardent

by racismceo



Category: Shall We Date?: Obey Me!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angels, Demons, Eventual Romance, F/F, F/M, Female Reader, M/M, Minor Character Death, Reincarnation, Shall We Date?: Obey Me! Spoilers, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Tragic Romance, Witches, mostly canon, x Reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:20:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 16,283
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25026841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/racismceo/pseuds/racismceo
Summary: After being accepted to a year-long exchange program in the Devildom that you strangely don't remember applying to be a part of, you hesitantly sign off on the letter's contract, only to find yourself in an unfamiliar realm shrouded by mystery and secrets of your past.
Relationships: Asmo (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Asmodeus (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Barbatos (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Beel (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Beelzebub (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Belphegor (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Belphie (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Levi (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Leviathan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Lucifer (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Mammon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, OC/OC, Possible???? Diavolo (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Satan (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Simeon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me)/Reader, Solomon (Shall We Date?: Obey Me!)/Reader
Comments: 7
Kudos: 35





	1. ~Prologue~

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, all! I originally published this work on Quotev, but decided to publish "ardent" on AO3 as well. You can find this fic on Quotev (under the same title), as I update there more quickly, although I promise to transfer everything written there to here as quickly as possible!

The auditorium's blinding lights coupled with the body heat radiating off of the forty-something people on the stage built upon one another to generate a suffocating heat that was almost unendurable for all of the orchestra's rehearsing players; the fact that the building's air conditioning was broken didn't help to alleviate any part of this problem, either.  
Mr. Stokowski, the orchestra's conductor, was a solemn man who placed great importance on everything that he did. Although he continually proclaimed that he was related to the late Leopold Stokowski and that he was of the same caliber as his alleged relative, he was nowhere near as decorated.  
Mr. Stokowski was stuck leading a high-school orchestra, which had some recognition on the national circuit, but that was nowhere near as grand as Leopold Stokowski's association with several ensembles, including the New York Philharmonic. Not only was the latter affiliated with some of North America's greatest orchestras, but he even made an appearance in Disney's Fantasia, to conduct the music for the movie's animated segments.  
As someone who was constantly surrounded by high-school students, whether that be at his day job or weekend rehearsals such as this, he was cognizant of the fact that teenagers had frustratingly short attention spans. His choleric disposition ensured that almost every rehearsal was abruptly ended by one of his infamous scoldings, although even he was too tired to lecture his ensemble today.   
That could've been attributed to the fact that the stage's heat was starting to put him to sleep, or that he had already worn himself out while reprimanding a group of girls for wearing skirts that he felt were too short. The older man had wiped some sweat off of his brow, before clutching his aching head and waving his hand, upon which, the group stopped playing.   
"I think that's a good stopping place for today. Save any questions that you might have for Monday, I'm going home and taking a nap..." Mr. Stokowski pinched the bridge of his nose after muttering that last part, then hurried off of the stage- the air's dryness had given him a bloody nose. 

* * *

"Oh my god- fucking finally!" The ensemble's concertmaster, a hot-tempered boy named Alistair, had voiced his relief once he was certain that the older man was out of earshot.   
"Can you shut up?" Constance, the high-strung girl that sat behind him, rolled her eyes- she found his childish antics to be repulsive.   
"Don't talk to me- you have an old lady name."   
"Strange. I don't remember asking about that."   
"Yeah, shut up Alistair!"  
The group, for the most part, had devolved into chaos as a result of another one of Alistair's petty squabbles, during which, (First Name) had taken the time to slink off of the stage, so she could pack up and go home. While she usually partook in being as chaotically stupid as her peers, she didn't have time for that today. Like Mr. Stokowski, she was planning on taking a nap as soon as she got home.  
"Alistair, you're so ugly- Hey! Don't touch me or I'll catch it too!"   
"Shut up Constance, I hate you so much."   
Upon hearing this outburst from the duo, she tightly clasped a hand over her mouth and started snickering uncontrollably, managing to use her free hand to zip up the side of her cello case. After steadying herself and turning to head back to the stage for her sheet music, she found herself face-to-face with the person she least wanted to talk to at the moment.  
She couldn't help but let out a sigh of exasperation when she'd taken notice of the fact that he was clutching her sheet music and holding it out towards her, all while keeping that stupid, overzealous grin on his face. It was honestly pathetic, he looked like a puppy that wouldn't stop following her around because she'd given it the slightest bit of attention.  
"I figured that you didn't want to go back there-"  
"Yeah, thanks." The girl pursed her lips in displeasure as soon as she'd caught onto what he was trying to do. The way his face was starting to flush a bright crimson along with how his eyes would dart away when he looked at her for a second too long were both indicative of the fact that he was mustering up the courage to do something but found himself unable to.  
It was agonizing to witness how he looked down at the ground and anxiously tugged at his hair as he summoned up the courage to say what he wanted to her.  
_Would it be rude of me to leave?... It's fucking weird, why is he just standing there? Ugh, I don't have time for this.  
_As soon as Vernon, the blushing boy, sensed her motion in his peripheral vision, he quickly grew desperate, resolving to talk to her before it was too late.  
"Hey, (First Name)." She stopped in her tracks and threw him a look over her shoulder that screamed agitation. Not only did her eyes narrow and jaw clench, but the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest came to a sputtering shudder as she found herself obliged to wait for him again.  
"What are you making me wait for?" The acidity in her tone made his heart stammer, adding to the existing pressure that was already built up in his chest.  
"O-oh! Sorry for making you wait..." He dug one of his feet into the ground and embarrassedly rubbed the back of his neck. He couldn't help but feel bad for taking up so much of her time.  
"I was just wondering if I could drive you home... I noticed that you walked here, and I don't want you to get tired when you're carrying your cello back there."  
His heart started fluttering after seeing how her expression softened, to him, it seemed as though she was considering his offer- when in reality, she was mulling over the best way to reject him. She couldn't help but admit that she felt a little bad for snapping at him earlier.   
She found herself able to avoid any further interaction with him, thanks to one of her friends, who was silently spectating the interaction between the pair.

* * *

"Ayo, (First Name)!" Mariko had coolly strode over to the two, shooting them a superficial grin before locking eyes with the flustered boy who stood next to her best friend.  
_Is that Vernon? Of course, who else would it be? Is he trying to ask her out again? I bet he is. Kinda cringe, but okay.  
_The raven-haired girl tucked some of her locks longs behind her ear before leaning up against (First Name), much to Vernon's displeasure.   
"Sooooo, what's happening here?" She feigned a tone of innocence, wrapping an arm around her friend as she'd questioned the unwelcome presence.   
"Wait, I wanna guess!" It was almost painful to hear how her exclamation reeked of sadistic excitement. Her tone was more than enough to foreshadow that her next statement was going to be incredibly insulting.   
"Aww, was Vernon going to ask (First Name) out again? That's so cute! Do you still think that you have a chance with her?" He thickly swallowed, feeling the pit in his stomach widen as he watched the callous girl playfully cover her smirk with two fingers.   
"W-what? That's not true! I only asked if she wanted a ride home! (First Name), isn't that right?" He looked over to the girl, wordlessly pleading for her to answer, only to be met by her silence. She knew better than to answer his question and risk upsetting one, or both, of them.   
"Sure you did, why don't you stop talking to her? It's a little sad to see you keep trying, especially with how many times you've gotten rejected."   
_Don't tell me they're going to get in some dumbass fight again. They are. Of course, why do I expect anything more?_  
After seeing both of her friends take on more aggressive stances, she exhaled wearily, before using one of her hands to cover the side of her face. She wanted no part in whatever was taking place. The brunette had balled his fists, shakily inhaling as he felt the heat rise inside of his body. He'd had enough of Mariko.   
"There's nothing wrong with asking her for a ride home! Just-" Before he could continue insisting that he had done nothing wrong, he was snidely cut off by her.   
"Um, what do you mean? Yes, there is, because it shows that you can't leave her alone- besides, I'm taking her home, so piss off." She let a wicked grin turn her lips up, both of which only added to the boy's malcontent.  
_Oh jeez, I'm really in for it now, aren't I? I don't remember the last time I've seen him this angry.  
_"What the hell! Mariko, I've never wronged you-"   
"That's a lie." Even though the girl knew that she was playing with fire by being so rude to the boy, she couldn't care less at this point. She very well knew that even his very best was no match for the worst of her worst.  
"Whatever, you two..." (First Name) had shaken her friend off, muttering annoyedly under her breath as she took her belongings and started to head out.  
_Did she just walk out on me? Whatever. I'll catch up anyway.  
_ The girl's sudden departure had startled Mariko, who almost lost her footing and fell face-first onto the floor's carpeting, but luckily, she'd caught herself.  
"See, even (First Name) doesn't want to deal with your bullshit! Just leave me alone and stop acting like a bitch." Vernon pinched the bridge of his nose and looked down, all of this was starting to tire him out.   
"Eh?" She couldn't help but grin at his petty attempt to hold his own, deciding to say something before he could continue on his little rant.   
"Whatever. Stop trying to act all holier-than-thou when you're a stupid simp who's done things far worse than me. Just fuck off and die already. Nobody will care whether you do or not." Despite the unrelenting inimicality of her words, she managed to say all of this while beaming at him; she found herself barely able to stifle her laughter.  
While he remained frozen in place, taken aback by the harshness of her words, she'd picked up her violin case and ran after her friend. 

* * *

"Oi, (First Name)! I'm driving you home, don't forget!" The unusually cheery girl expected to be greeted by her friend's open arms, only to end up receiving a dirty look in its stead.  
"Mariko, don't give me that act. I heard that you said after I left- don't you at least feel bad for him?" Her face hardened after she heard her friend huff, expecting her to babble some nonsense as "defense."   
"Maybe I wouldn't be so mean to him if he apologized to me!"  
"Don't tell me that he still hasn't apologized for that..." (First Name) slapped her forehead and groaned, before smoothing down her (hair length) (hair color) hair.  
"He hasn't! Can you believe that? And the worst part is that he knows that what he did was wrong! Why can't he just apologize?" The other girl started turning red in the face, only to clench her fists as she thought back to the events of that day.   
"You know, I didn't leave my house for a month because of it!... How can he say that it's not a big deal and refuse to apologize to me- he just pisses me off so much!"  
"Yeah, I'll talk to him about that, but that still doesn't excuse the fact you told him to die!"  
"Huh? What are you on about now? Yes, it does!" She glowered in distaste upon hearing the other girl vocalize her disapproval; Mariko figured that her friend was going to agree with her, only to end up unpleasantly surprised.   
"You can say whatever you want, but that doesn't make you right." (First Name) rolled her eyes at Mariko, before slapping the latter's trunk.   
"Hey, I don't remember your trunk being this small..."  
"Wow! Astute finding, Sherlock Holmes. I got a new car, genius."  
"Okay, Mariko. Stay mad." She puffed as she stuffed her instrument in the cramped trunk, only to abruptly turn on her heel and hop into the passenger seat. 

* * *

Not even five minutes into the car ride, the atmosphere became stifling- it was reminiscent of the stage's sweltering heat earlier. To add onto that, nobody had said a word, they both assumed that the other was mad at them, and chose to remain silent.  
"Can I roll down the windows?" (First Name) took a quavering breath before clutching her chest, she was finding it hard to breathe.   
"There's a lot of bugs during this time of the year... I can turn on the AC if you want."   
"Yes, please!... But isn't that bad for your car's mileage?" The dark-haired girl chuckled, before looking over to her friend in the passenger seat.   
"It just reduces my car's battery life. I bought an electric car because they're better for the environment, you know?"  
"Why do you suddenly care about the environment? I thought you said that you didn't care about what happened to the planet. You even made fun of me when I suggested buying an electric car..." She raised an eyebrow in intrigue, her quizzical tone quickly turning more interrogative and pushy.   
"I was a different person last week when I said that. The new me wouldn't even think about saying anything like that, ever!"   
_Did something happen? She didn't tell me anything about this- but she better not be doing this for a stupid reason. I mean, caring for the planet is a good cause._  
"I can see that face you're making- are you seriously doubting me right now?" Mariko scoffed incredulously; she couldn't believe the fact that someone was questioning her motives for changing her lifestyle.  
"I mean, something drastic had to have happened-"   
"Something drastic did happen! I saw that National Geographic video, you know the one. It shows the polar bears starving and dying because of climate change, can you believe that?"   
"That video is two years old!"   
"What do you mean? So were you just not going to tell me that climate change was killing the polar bears? Did you expect me to watch that on National Geographic myself? Unbelievable..." She muttered the last part under her breath, only for the other girl to cringe after hearing the question.  
"I thought that was just common sense... Are you telling me that you bought a new car because climate change is killing the polar bears?"  
_Why is her tone so insulting? It's like she's trying to call me stupid or something. Sheesh!  
_"Climate change isn't killing just polar bears- dogs too! That's why I decided to go electric." Mariko was remarkably sensitive when the topic of dogs came up, so her explanation made sense; it was still ridiculous and moronic of her to do so.   
"Eh? Who told you that?"   
"Vernon did." (First Name) scrunched her face up after hearing this, there was no way that the two of them could have a conversation that didn't culminate in death threats, crying, or screaming. How was he supposed to tell her about climate change when she hated him?   
"Are you being serious right now?"   
"Yeah, I called him last week because I accidentally took his phone charger, and he told me that he found some studies on it."   
"How am I supposed to believe that the two of you had a civil conversation-"  
"Huh? I ended up cursing him out for bringing up dogs- you can ask him!" After seeing the girl's unusually wide smile (First Name) sighed in frustration; she'd half-expected it, though.  
"Of course..." 

* * *

"Y'know (First Name), I thought you were mad at me for that whole thing earlier with Vernon... Don't forget your purse back there!" Mariko had sheepishly smiled, leaning against the side of her car as her friend gathered her belongings from the trunk.  
"Oh yeah, thanks for reminding me..." She trailed off, lazily slinging the crossbody bag across her shoulder before continuing.   
"Honestly, you two get into fights so much that it's hard to be mad at this point; I expect them, but it's disappointing when they happen. Besides, I have other things to be mad about-"  
"Like when Mr. Stokowski scolded some of you all for wearing short skirts?"   
"It was so embarrassing! I didn't even know there was rehearsal until Constance texted me- I would've been late if I hadn't left my cello at school." (First Name) groaned upon recalling the event from earlier, feeling the frustration build up in her as a result.   
"And he's making you guys play in front of the class on Monday- I thought he couldn't get any worse!" After hearing her friend burst out into a fit of howling laughter, she clenched her jaw.   
_Why can't she take this seriously? It's not even that funny- he's just annoying at this point._  
"Oi, don't leave without me! Where are you going (First Name)?"  
"My apartment? Where else would I be going, you moron."   
"Well, I'll walk you there!"   
"You don't need to do that..." Mariko made a face at her friend after hearing her trail off; it was her way of calling the girl stupid without having to say it.  
"Don't you remember when that guy mugged you?"  
"Oh my god, don't tell me you're still on about this!"   
"It was last weekend, how can I not be?" Once she heard this, (First Name) frustratedly rubbed her face- the last thing she needed was someone to play the role of an overbearing mother to her.   
"Okay, what if someone tries mugging you on the way back to your car?"   
"Well, I wouldn't have to worry about that." As the pair headed over to the complex's mailboxes, the smiling girl had pulled a switchblade out of her pocket, holding it below her hip as she'd taken its blade out to show her friend.   
As soon as she saw the switchblade, she tightly clasped a hand over her mouth; she couldn't conceal her consternation well enough. (First Name) didn't want to attract any unwanted attention, so she'd grabbed Mariko by the shoulder before using her hands to hide any view of the weapon and chastising her, keeping her voice at a hushed whisper.   
"What is wrong with you? Did you bring that to school? It's illegal to own one in the state!" The latter had puffed air out of her nose, muttering angrily under her breath as she put the knife back in her pocket.   
"Okay, what about it? It's not even that big of a deal. Besides, trying to mug someone is also illegal, y' know..." 

* * *

"Wow... Have fun with all of those letters, (First Name)."  
"You know I'm not going to-"   
"I know." Mariko started snorting, only to kick aside her friend's doormat and use the spare key under it to open the door; there was no way that (First Name) was going to do any of that when she was already holding her cello and a bunch of letters.  
"Oh, thank you! I can get it though-"  
"No that's fine, I got it! See you later." Before she could set her cello down and close the door behind her, the other girl had dropped the key and half-assedly kicked the mat over it, before waving goodbye and shutting the door.   
_Hm, she seemed like she was in a hurry to leave, I didn't even get to say bye or anything. Whatever, I guess. She probably had something to do._  
Before spending too much time with her thoughts, she headed over to the kitchen table and resolved to deal with her mail; it was strange, the amount she had gotten today was twice of what it usually was, and there was nothing special going on, at least nothing that she recalled.  
Her mail consisted mainly of bills and letters from colleges, although there was one piece of mail that stuck out to her. The envelope was wine-colored, the wax seal on the top of it an even darker shade of red.   
_Huh? What's this?_


	2. ~Chapter One~

After taking another glance at the envelope, (First Name) figured that she knew what its contents were. The last time she was addressed a letter that looked marginally similar to this one, it was for a birthday party. To be more specific, it was for a murder-mystery themed birthday party that Vernon had thrown a few years back.  
That envelope in question was maroon and embossed with ominous symbols that she didn't know the meaning of to date. She couldn't forget a single detail about that party, regardless if she wanted to or not. The police had questioned all of the partygoers because of a mass murder that happened near the venue. Coincidentally, it happened on the same day of the party as well.  
The party was the reason that Vernon didn't celebrate his birthday on its actual day, along with the fact that it fell on the same day as Christmas. In case it was another one of his invitations, she decided to put it aside until she'd opened all of the other letters, she didn't want to take away from the building excitement of what this year's theme possibly could've been. 

* * *

As soon as she peeled the seal off, she opened the letter, her eyes widening at the stark contrast in theme between the envelope and its contents. It was nearly translucent, appearing honey-colored at the edges of the paper, gradually darkening to a smoky grey in the center. She couldn't help but find her impressed by the calligraphy, the words seeming to glow like little lights embedded in the paper.  
It was a change of pace from the illegible scrawling of his that she was subject to read. She stopped for a second, wondering if it was him or Mariko who had handwriting like a kindergartener. She'd forgotten, finding herself a little frustrated that she couldn't remember, but quickly returned to reading the impressively written letter.   
**_Congratulations (First Name) (Last Name)! We have chosen for you to be a part of the Royal Academy of Diavolo student exchange program.  
_**_How can an "exchange program" work as a birthday party theme- and who is Diavolo? Is this some character that Vernon made up?  
_After trying and failing to make sense of this supposed party's theme, she continued reading the letter, hoping that it would give her more clues as to what was happening.   
**_You are one of four students selected to participate in this one-year program. We look forward to interacting with you and sharing our heritage and culture.  
_**_Who is this "we" that he keeps mentioning? Is his party going to be that small this year? What's up with the detail about a "one-year program"? Geez.  
_While this hadn't been the strangest or most puzzling letter she had gotten, it certainly deserved a spot in the top ten, if not top five.   
**_Please sign below to accept this invitation to this exclusive opportunity. Expect an immediate response.  
_**_Why should I sign this piece of paper? Is it like he'll know if I do or not?  
_She ran off to the living room and looked through the drawers of her cabinet, unhappily grumbling as she'd searched for a pen. She grabbed a few- with her luck, most of them were going to be dead anyway. After trying out the first one and seeing as it didn't sign the paper, she huffed frustratedly.   
_It's not like it'll matter if I sign or not, nobody's going to know whether I do or don't, this is utterly meaningless.  
_After trying the next few, seeing how they didn't work either, she hid her face in her hands and blew warm air into them, finding the frustration come to a rapid boil under her skin.   
_Why do I care so much about a stupid signature?  
_Since none of her ballpoint or gel pens would write on the paper, she ended up opening one of the flaps on her cello case and pulled out a fountain pen. She didn't use it unless it was to write something in her music, but at this point, it was a last resort.  
After signing her name and writing the month and day of both her birth date and current date, she exhaled in relief, before chuckling to herself. She swiped "the good pen" off of the table along with her cello case, not taking notice of how the writing on the letter started to glow more intensely after she successfully signed it.  
She didn't even step foot out of the kitchen before the white she started to see in her peripheral vision took over her sight. That white quickly turned into a black that was too dark to see with the human eye, eventually giving way to a courtroom that she couldn't recognize. 

* * *

_She looks more stupid than Solomon, but I trust that Diavolo made the correct choice.  
_The eldest of the seven brothers had looked over to the red-clad male that was seated next to him, his expression dropping upon seeing the amused face that the latter had made.  
_Oh my, I wonder what she was doing while she was reading my letter. Was it important? She looks frenzied right now.  
_He looked over to his other brothers, somehow finding himself more disappointed after seeing them.   
The brother seated closest to him, the fourth eldest, had worn a dismayed look on his face, instinctively putting his hand up to the opposite shoulder as he let a slight frown curl his lips down. At least he could trust that they were thinking similarly to this new arrival.   
He barely glanced at his fifth oldest brother, knowing that he was wearing his trademark smile and messing with his hair. He didn't bother to preoccupy himself with what his brother was thinking because frankly, he didn't want to know. He didn't even have to look at his sixth oldest brother to find out that he was hiding his face in his hands and silently complaining about his insatiable hunger. At times, he wondered how his brothers could be so stupid.  
After hearing Diavolo clear his throat, he started to relax, only to tense up when he heard a female voice cut through the otherwise silent room.   
"Hey, can we do a take two? I just need to put my stuff away." She quickly put her pen in the bag that she hadn't gotten the chance to take off.  
"My apologies, but we can't do that."  
"Bro... That's fucked up."  
"Pardon me?" The brunette coughed into one hand out of the shock he'd experienced from hearing her; he didn't expect her to be so profane. He quickly regained his composure, finding himself ready to retry his hand at introducing himself to her. 

* * *

"Welcome to the Devildom (First Name)." Diavolo crossed his arms, his usual smug grin curling his lips up as he started with his introduction. Hopefully, it wasn't going to be so rudely interrupted this time.  
_Do I know him? Why does he know my name?... Wait. The Devildom? What? Does this have anything to do with that fucking letter I signed? There's no way that letter was a birthday card. What's happening right now?_  
She licked her lips, allowing them to go slightly agape as her brows knit together. Despite how badly she wanted to say something, she found herself completely stupefied. Words couldn't express her feelings about the situation she found herself in.   
"...Oh, pardon me. Feeling a bit shocked, are we?" A look of concern spread across his face, which she felt was scarier than his smile earlier; she couldn't tell if he genuinely felt bad, or if it was all an act.   
"Well, that's understandable. You've only just arrived, after all. As a human, it will probably take a little while for you to adjust to things here in the Devildom." He rubbed his chin in thought, waiting for her response. Aside from that first outburst, he didn't know much about the type of person she was.   
"Wait... The Devildom? The Devildom as in this isn't Earth?"   
"Yes, exactly, the Devildom. I see that you catch on quickly. Excellent." He'd given her a nod of approval, looking over to the dark-haired boy next to him before continuing.   
"I suppose I should start by introducing myself. My name is Diavolo." As soon as the name "Diavolo" left his lips, she exhaled out of frustration with herself.   
_Of course, this is related to that stupid fucking letter. Why did I let myself sign it? Am I stupid? I can't believe this.  
_"I am the ruler of all demons, and all here know of me. And someday soon, I will be crowned king of the Devildom." He paused, allowing his expression to soften before looking around the room.   
"This is the Royal Academy of Diavolo, though we just call it RAD. You're standing inside the assembly hall, the very heart of RAD." While she picked up on what she was saying, she didn't understand the importance of being told all of this; he picked up on that sentiment and took the liberty of further elaborating to her.   
"This is where we officers of the student council hold our meetings and conduct our business. I'm the president of said council." Hints of a smirk spread across his face as he proclaimed the last part, although his moment of glory was quickly interrupted.   
"Okay, that's cool and all, but I don't know why I'm here." She'd sharply inhaled, almost finding herself unable to address the group of men. There was something about their collective stares that was suffocating.   
_Is she taking up that tone with Diavolo after he so graciously explains the Devildom to her? Shameful._  
Before the student council president could say another word, the dark-haired man sitting next to him decided to intervene, he felt like he was a better disciplinarian than the former.   
"I will explain everything to you."   
"This is Lucifer- (First Name). He is a demon and the Avatar of Pride. He's also the Vice President of the student council and my right-hand man." He chuckled to himself before adding another remark to that.   
"And not just in rank, I assure you, beyond that, he's my most trusted friend." Upon hearing these words, the other male's expression of cold neutrality had quickly fallen, becoming one of dread.   
"Flattery will get you nowhere, Diavolo." If he could further express his disappointment, he would have, although he didn't feel especially inclined to do so in front of a human stranger. 

* * *

Lucifer cleared his throat, allowing a small grin to spread across his face as he shifted his attention towards the newest of RAD's exchange students.   
"Speaking on behalf of the entire student body at this great and stories institution of ours. I offer you a most heartfelt welcome- (First Name)." He gave her a little nod, which prompted her to speak up again.   
"Thanks. Now answer my question." She found her irritation growing as the minutes passed; her question remained unanswered.   
"...Interesting. This one is quite different than Solomon." While he grew agitated by witnessing her impudence towards Diavolo, he found himself a little curious when she did the same to him.   
"Diavolo believes that we demons should start strengthening our relationship with both the human world and the Celestial Realm. As a first step toward this goal, we've decided to institute an exchange program; we've sent two of our students to the human world and two to the Celestial Realm. And we're welcoming four students to our school: two from your world and two from the Celestial Realm."  
He took a pause, making his impatience evident with the small frown he was sporting.  
_I hope she catches onto things as quickly as Diavolo believes she does. She still seems like an idiot to me.  
_"So I take it you've probably put two and two together at this point, right? You're being chosen from among the people of the human world to participate in this program of ours. You are our newest exchange student."   
_Aw man, I didn't even get to say goodbye to anyone. My arm is getting a little tired, how much longer am I going to be here? I just want to put my stuff away.  
_(First Name) retreated into her thoughts, while she already knew that she was stupid for signing that random letter, she was more astounded as to how poorly thought out this exchange program was. Not only did she not remember applying to be a part of this program, but her sudden disappearance would make things all the worse for her when she came back.   
She just hoped her friends didn't jump to conclusions and think that she was kidnapped or anything of the sort. In all honesty, she wouldn't have cared if they thought so- she felt as though they'd abducted her. There was a better way to go about doing something like this, something that they hadn't seemed to realize quite yet.   
"Your period of stay is one year. You will have to work on the tasks that you will receive from RAD. After one year, you will write a paper about your exchange here in the Devildom."  
"Huh? What sort of tasks? I don't w-" She figured that the tasks were related to torturing the eternally damned or performing dark magic; before she could inquire about that, he'd cut her off.  
"You are here as an exchange student. Did you expect to spend your time here fooling around?" He shook his head at her disapprovingly, only for her to shoot him a contemptuous glare.  
Upon noticing the look she was giving him, he couldn't help but smirk- she _**was**_ different than Solomon.  
"Don't glare at me like that. It's not like I will abandon you all by yourself here in the Devildom. You need someone to look after you, and I think that someone should be my brother Mammon." After mentioning his younger brother, Lucifer paused, he had suddenly gotten a bilious taste in his mouth, and it wasn't in the way he liked.   
"He's the Avatar of Greed and... How should I put it?... Oh well, you'll understand soon enough." He'd fished something out of one of his several pockets before handing it to her.  
It looked exactly like the cell phone she had, except the lock screen was of a white crow against a red, textured background. Not only that, but the time read 66:66.   
_Is this a joke, or is this how they tell time here?  
_"Here, take this device. It's called a D.D.D. It's a lot like the cell phones of your world- this will be yours to use for as long as you're here. Now, go ahead and try calling Mammon with it." He couldn't help but watch on amusedly as she unlocked the phone and searched for his brother's number.

* * *

After seeing that he'd gotten a call, Mammon had raked a hand through his snow-white hair before picking up the phone.   
"Yoooo." (First Name) had put the phone on speaker, raising her eyebrows as she'd heard him pick up. He seemed to be more casual and easygoing than the two demons she'd met.  
"Huh?... Yooo." She returned his greeting, rolling her eyes when she'd seen Lucifer cover his mouth to hide his laughter. He looked just like Mariko when he did that.   
"Eh? Are ya foolin' around? Who the hell are ya?" After hearing the unfamiliar voice, Mammon had snorted in annoyance. He'd hoped that this wasn't another prank caller- he was getting fed up with them.   
"What do you mean "Who the hell are ya?"? Are you stupid or something? I'm a human." She puffed air out of her mouth, choosing to ignore the group of snickering boys as she continued with her not-so-pleasant phone call.  
"Hey- whaa? A human? Geez, I was gettin' all chilly here thinkin' it was Lucifer again." He'd gotten a little heated at the fact that some strange human was calling him stupid, although he was more taken aback by the fact that he was talking to a human.   
"Ya should've told me right away!... So, what business does a human have with THE Mammon?" He leaned back, hoping that he scared them off, but they'd resumed talking right away, much to his annoyance.   
"Don't tell me you're for real... You're going to be in charge of me from now on."   
"No way! There's nothin' in it for me. Whaddaya even mean by "be in charge of you"?" Before she could answer his stupid question, he gasped in realization.   
"Aah, I get it now, you're the other human- the new exchange student!. G'luck with that, and see ya-"   
"But Lucifer called for you."   
The second oldest demon held his phone out, making a face at it before scoffing in disbelief. He couldn't believe that a petty human was trying to use his brother's name to scare him- this was a new low for him.  
"Pfft, whatever! Ya think THE Mammon would listen to ya just 'cause you're tryin' to scare me with that name?" Lucifer decided that he had enough of Mammon's stupidity and snatched the phone from her. If the mention of his name wasn't going to scare his idiot brother, then he was going to scare Mammon himself.  
"You've got 10 seconds... 9... 8-"  
"Yessir!" The oldest of the brothers had groaned in annoyance, before handing the phone back to the girl. Even if his other brothers were idiots, they all looked like academics when compared with Mammon. 

* * *

"Don't tell me that he's in charge of me..." (First Name) pinched the bridge of her nose, only for Lucifer to chuckle upon noticing how disconcerted she appeared.   
"You look even more worried now, huh-"   
"Well, if you were suddenly brought to a strange place and then get told that an unfamiliar face will now take care of you, you'd certainly feel anxious... However, Mammon isn't the only one to help you out." Diavolo crossed his arms and nodded curtly, before calling on Lucifer to introduce his brothers.  
"Yes, as much as I dread the idea of doing so, you're right." The oldest brother's frown deepened, he almost seemed to shrink back as soon as he thought about introducing the new exchange student to his dumbass siblings.   
One of his brothers, whose peach-colored bangs obscured the view of his ember-colored eyes, scoffed, before responding to the older boy's insult.   
"Oh, come now. Really? You should be honored that you get to introduce such a sweet and charming little brother like me!" He gave the unfamiliar female a close-lipped smile, his eyes twinkling with wonder as he looked her up and down. For some reason, he felt as though he was a kid on Christmas- who'd gotten a new toy.  
"...This one here is Asmodeus. He's the fifth eldest. He is the Avatar of Lust."   
"Wh... I can't believe you just totally ignored what I said! And not only that, you referred to me as this one. How rude!" He moved a hand up to his face, lightly tugging on his bangs as his delightful grin turned into an offended frown.   
"Hmph. At least he didn't ignore you altogether. How do you think I feel?" One of Asmodeus's older brothers, this one having tousled blond hair and sky blue eyes, put his hand on his hip.   
He huffed as he brought up the fact he was ignored, which didn't surprise him. This wasn't the first time that something of the sort happened.  
"That one there is Satan, the fourth eldest of us. At first glance, he may seem like a responsible demon with a good head on his shoulders, but looks can be deceiving."   
"Aha, so I'm that one, am I? Nice to meet you, (First Name). I am Satan, the Avatar of Wrath." He placed his hand under his chin, shooting the girl a harmless smile as he introduced himself.   
"Oh! So you're all avatars of something because that's what you're about?" Her eyes widened as she came to this realization, only for the blond to give her an approving nod.   
"Correct... You do catch on quickly." Satan gave her another smile, only for Lucifer to give his brother the side-eye, he knew how his younger brother was.   
"Careful, (First Name). He may flash you a pretty smile like that, but you had better be careful because it is all an act."   
"If you continue saying such nonsense, you'll just scare her." A purple-ish aura seemed to surround the boy, making (First Name) question if the others in the room could see it as well.   
"Don't take him too seriously, (First Name). Lucifer enjoys speaking ill of his brothers. He is the Avatar of Pride, after all." He lay one of his hands across the side of his chest, flashing her another grin as he looked over to her, seeing that she had given Asmodeus a quick glance-over.  
"I should probably warn you- you'd best be wary of Asmodeus's gaze. He can charm and manipulate people and use them to his advantage... If you're not careful, he'll charm you, and once you're under his spell, he'll eat you." Before the caramel-haired boy could say anything in protest, the black-haired brother cut them off with a sigh.  
"Are you done?" He softly groaned, before looking over to the one person in the room that he hadn't introduced (First Name) to.   
"Now, the one there with the very grumpy look on his face is Beelzebub. He's the sixth oldest-"  
"Lucifer, I'm hungry."  
"That's too bad. Now behave yourself." He narrowed his eyes at Beelzebub, who took the liberty of introducing himself to the human in front of him.   
"I'm Beelzebub, the Avatar of Gluttony."

* * *

Lucifer shooed off his younger brothers, before crossing his arms, his self-assured smirk returning as he started to speak, again.   
"So, there are seven of us brothers in all, and I am the eldest. Mammon, the second oldest of us, will be here soon. My other brothers aren't here at the moment, but... Well. We can get to them later. All in good time." After mentioning Mammon, his lips dropped to a scowl, which only piqued (First Name)'s interest in the fucking buffoon that she called earlier.   
"During your stay in the Devildom, the seven brothers will lend you their strength. To keep you safe, you are to stay with them at the House of Lamentation."  
"It was initially a cursed house in the human world, so I assume it won't be a problem for you-a human- to live there. Although we will all be living together, you should still have the means to reach us at any given time." The vice-president went on to explain how her D.D.D. comes with a messaging app, along with all of their phone numbers- reminding her to add them to her contacts list.   
"I'll go ahead and send you a message!" Diavolo had quickly taken out his D.D.D., only for Satan to rub his chin and muse about it.   
"Isn't that nice? Now you will be friends with the future king of the Devildom!"  
"Yeah, it is!" She beamed at the blond, only to whip her head back when she'd heard the assembly hall's doors slam open.  
"Huh? You again!" Everybody in the room looked over to the human as she'd started to exclaim; from the sound of it, she seemed to have some history with Mammon that the others were unaware of.


	3. ~Chapter Two~

"What do you mean by that?" Satan furrowed his eyebrows in consideration and looked over to the girl, who set her instrument case down and put both hands on her hips.  
The blond clutched the material of his uniform jacket with a loose hand, knowing very well something was going to happen- as long as it didn't affect him, he didn't worry about what was happening. He just wanted to see some drama.   
"I can't believe you have the audacity to show your face around me after last time!... You're a dumbass, do you know that?" After crossing her arms and raising her chin to condescendingly peer at the white-haired boy, the latter took a more aggressive stance- he couldn't believe that some lowly human was acting towards him in the same way his brothers did.  
"(First Name), do you care to enlighten us about what's happening?" Lucifer rested a hand across his chest, his eyes widening after he heard the girl yell at his brother. Regardless of whatever was happening, it couldn't have been anything good.  
"Last week, your brother mugged me!"  
"Oh? What did Mammon steal this time?" Diavolo couldn't help but laugh heartily as he posed the question, everything about this situation was entertaining to him.  
While she found herself a little irritated at how the brunette seemed to find the situation humorous, (First Name) ended up answering his question before starting to ramble about the alleged thief.   
"He stole my favorite pair of shoes!... But I don't know if he did that because he has a thing for feet or because he's just that fucking sad-"  
"Oi! I don't have a foot fetish..." He trailed off, finding himself the most flustered with this accusation, stealing was expected of him and he really didn't care about being called a thief, but he didn't want anyone to think he was depraved like Asmodeus.  
_Huh? Why does everyone look so mad? I didn't even steal her shoes... Did I? Nah, I don't remember stealing anyone's shoes when I was in the human world last week. I don't even know who the hell she is... Even I'm not that weird- they should know that!_  
Mammon quickly looked around to the other people in the room, growing pale upon catching sight of their collectively unamused expressions. Usually, his thievery wasn't a big deal, but this time it was related to Diavolo's exchange program, so it was of importance to his brothers and the Demon Lord.  
Before anybody else could say anything, he cleared his throat, finding it difficult for him to regain his composure as he responded to the rest of the girl's claims. He hoped that the other people in the room were going to believe him- he honestly had no clue as to who the girl was.   
"A-and I've never seen you in my life! You have a lot of nerve talking to the Great Mammon like that! If you don't stop that, I'm going to eat you! Starting with your stupid head-"  
Asmodeus and Satan couldn't help but snicker while their older brother went on another one of his idiotic rants, watching as his face started to grow a cherry red; he was practically starting to sputter before Lucifer cut him off.   
"Mammon, shut up or I'll punch you!" Beelzebub held his stomach, which let out monstrous growls, and kept his head down- he already saw Mammon get beaten up in the morning, so this wasn't entertaining to him.   
The raven-haired Avatar of Pride slightly bent his knees, before balling up one of his fists and striking his younger brother in the solar plexus at an unnatural speed. While the latter was doubled over in pain, Lucifer exhaled in disappointment, before muttering something about how he wanted to discuss this at a later time.  
_I didn't think he could've stooped lower than when I permitted him to use that goddamned credit card of his. Really, stealing someone's shoes? Pathetic... Of course Mammon has to go and embarrass me in front of Lord Diavolo- I only hope that his actions have no bearing on the health of the exchange program._

* * *

After noticing that his older brothers were still at it, the blond took it upon himself to get the exchange student better acquainted with the Avatar of Greed, which would hopefully diffuse some of the tension in the room. He probably would've let the situation escalate if they were at the House of Lamentation; if something bad happened while they were at the RAD, especially while they were in the presence of Diavolo, Lucifer wouldn't have been able to let anyone live it down.   
"You already know that Mammon here is the Avatar of Greed, he governs and oversees all forms of it, but did you know that whenever he takes a liking to someone, they suddenly find themselves awash in money?... But from what I hear, if he decides to break it off with someone, that wealth evaporates. They're left without a Grimm to their name." He raised his eyebrows and slyly smiled, only for Asmodeus to chime in.  
"And he's also a masochist. That part's important!" The oldest brother looked over to Asmodeus, before crossing his arms and nodding. After hearing this, his energy became less focused on chastising Mammon and more so on finishing (First Name)'s introduction to the Devildom.   
"Indeed. And it just so happens I have a job for my masochist of a brother-"   
"Y'all, stop telling lies! I ain't asked for that punch, and I ain't a masochist!" He looked to his brothers and scowled in distaste- he couldn't believe that they were humiliating him in front of some random human.   
"Hush. Now Mammon, you are going to be in charge of seeing to this human's needs during the whole exchange, I expect your full cooperation."   
_Is he still in charge of me? Even after I told them that he mugged me last week? This is so stupid... Why can't I just go back home?_  
The girl pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned, gritting her teeth after hearing the white-haired boy protest; she felt as though he had no valid complaints, unlike her.   
"What? Why me!" He looked to the trio of his younger brothers and practically begged for one of them to take over his place, much to Lucifer's displeasure.   
"Surely you're not going to tell me that you object to this arrangement, are you?" The same menacing, magenta aura that seemed to surround Satan earlier was now radiating from the frowning boy.   
Earlier, she had questioned if anybody else was able to see this, but after noticing how Mammon swallowed thickly and jumped when his older brother emitted such energy, she figured that he was able to see it too.   
"I hate ya- every single last one of y'all! Fine... Fine! I'll do it okay?" He rolled his eyes, before looking over to the girl that accused him of stealing earlier; he was still agitated by her outburst, but he had no choice but to deal with her, for the time being.  
_It's just a year- just how much can a weak human bother the Great Mammon in that amount of time? Haha, that's nothing! Plus, I won't have to see her ever again after this! You got this, Mammon!_  
"All right, human. Listen up. I don't want to look after you because I have better things to do, and you're already a huge pain in the ass, but I have no choice- Lucifer told me to do it, so I have to... But you better not cause me any trouble- got it?!"   
After trailing off about Lucifer, he quickly regained his usual carelessness and cockiness because he realized that she was just some powerless human that he could bully around. Mammon wasn't certain why he let this girl bother him earlier, she seemed like the type to cry if someone threatened to eat her- he assumed that her rudeness was just some front; he resolved to not allow her to bother him.  
"Shut up, I don't want you to talk to me anymore." The room erupted in howling laughter, mainly from his brothers, after she hissed at him, which only added to his irritation.  
"Are you an idiot?"   
"Why are you the one calling me an idiot, idiot?" 

* * *

Lucifer waited for the room to settle down before continuing to talk to the exchange student about how her stay at the Devildom would play out.   
"We've decided who will take care of you, so onto the next subject: your task, which is to polish up your soul nicely and acquire the power to resist demons. Other demons at RAD also have tasks assigned to them, and several of them will use their wits and power to attempt to consume your soul."  
_I wonder what sort of soul she has, from what I've seen, I imagine it needs a lot of polishing. She's interesting, like Solomon, although she's nowhere near as suspicious... Maybe it's one of those that's surprisingly nice- I'll have to ask Diavolo what he thinks._  
(First Name) blinked at him, before knitting her eyebrows together in thought. The concept itself wasn't difficult to understand, but the way he put things made them seem more confusing than they actually were.   
"In other words, either humans will be tempted by demons, or demons will lose against the shiny and noble soul of a human and make a run for it... You could say it is an experiment to find out who will win." He put his hand up to his chest and shot her a sly smirk, only for her eyes to widen as she finally realized what he was talking about.  
"Oh!... Well, what happens if I win?" She bit the inside of her cheek, her eyes sparkling as a rush of excitement shot through her- there was just something about the prospect of winning that was so appealing to her. It temporarily made her forget the disastrous situation she was currently in.   
"Let's see... I will prepare some rewards to make sure you give it your all." His vagueness annoyed her, to the point she'd shot him a dirty look- he should've known better than to leave her hanging like that.  
"There, there, don't give me that look... Don't take it so seriously. You won't have to do those tasks on your own." Lucifer's expression dropped after seeing hers do the same, only for him to straighten up as he resumed.   
"After all, you don't have any magic in you unlike the other exchange student from the human world, so my brothers and I will lend our power to you and you alone-"   
"I wanna make one thing clear right now. Don't blame me if _someone_ gets eaten, 'cause it ain't my fault."  
Beelzebub had tugged at his eldest brother's cape like a child and muttered something to him about being hungry, only for the latter to brush him off and tell him to behave. Before he could say something in disapproval of Mammon, the exchange student snapped back.   
"If you eat me, or if I die here, I will literally haunt you until the end of time."  
"Oi- don't talk to me like that!"   
"Then don't talk about me getting eaten!" 

* * *

"Mammon, why don't you help (First Name) with her belongings and show her to the House of Lamentation?"  
"Thank you, Lucifer, but I don't trust him with anything of mine."   
_Huh? Is she really gonna be this rude when I'm standing right here? Some people, man... I didn't even steal her stuff! Why's she gotta act like this? I'm innocent!  
_"It's fine, I insist. If he's smart enough to understand that my word is law, he surely understands the repercussions that would come with stealing something of yours." Lucifer shot his brother a stern glare, to which he scrambled to help the girl with her possessions- a cross-body purse and a cello in its case.  
"Hey, I told you not to touch anything!" She violently elbowed Mammon in the chest when he tried sliding the purse off of her collar; he staggered back in response, not because he was injured, but more so because he was shocked- she didn't seem like the type to get physical with anyone.  
"It's a little sad, Asmodeus, don't you think?"   
"What is?"   
"How stupid our brother is." Satan shook his head and pouted disappointedly, he didn't have the energy to find himself angered by his older brother at the moment.  
Asmodeus nodded in agreement, before giggling and looking over to Beelzebub, who was moping in a corner about his unsatisfied hunger. He then looked to where Lucifer and Lord Diavolo stood, noticing they had very different reactions to the events that were unfolding.  
_Satan always talks about how similar they are- I mean they're always acting like an old married couple or something like that... But they look like they have super different opinions about what's happening right now! I wonder what they're thinking..._  
Even Lucifer was having a hard time containing himself, this exchange student was bossing his brother around in the same way those dastardly witches constantly did, which fascinated him. A small smirk rested on his face after he witnessed Mammon getting elbowed, almost giving way to one of his rare smiles.  
_I didn't know that my brother was this miserable- getting bossed around by a human, really? He deserves it though, I just hope she won't be as much of a pain as those witches he's constantly hanging around with. Maybe I could get used to this- only if they're not always this loud or moronic...  
_Lord Diavolo, on the other hand, wore a straight face and rubbed his chin, he wasn't expecting anything like this to happen. While he knew that Mammon was always getting into petty squabbles like this, he expected more from her and couldn't help but find himself a little disconcerted. Regardless of how funny he found it whenever Mammon was in a hard place, he was hoping that her behavior would have no negative impacts on the exchange program.   
_It's a little hard to believe that Mammon and (First Name) are already fighting like cats and dogs- even if he stole something from her, does it justify her being this angry? She's really not as agreeable as I thought her to be, in fact, she's pretty rough around the edges. Hopefully, we made the right decision by choosing her for the program..._  
(First Name) adjusted her purse and grabbed her instrument case before looking back to the boys in the assembly room and waving them goodbye.   
"Bye-bye, see you soon!" The boys in the assembly hall, with the exceptions of Mammon and Beelzebub, said their goodbyes and gave the exchange student their nicest smiles as she headed out of the room with the white-haired boy, only for the room's atmosphere to change inordinately as soon as the pair left. 

* * *

"Oh, wow! That was cute, don't you think, Satan?" Asmodeus's tongue flicked across his lower lip, which he bit as he played around with his bangs.   
"What are you talking about now?" The blond exhaled tiredly, he already had some idea of the unpleasant things that his younger brother was going to say and wasn't actually interested in hearing the answer to his question.   
"The way (First Name) said goodbye! Up until now, I figured that she was the snappy and domineering type- maybe she has a cute side to her, like Solomon!... I certainly hope that one year is enough time for me to explore all of her sides."  
_Doesn't he get tired of saying things like that all day? It's deplorable. I wish I knew what in his mind is so screwed up that he thinks saying stuff like that about a stranger is okay... But I'm good without a journey into his mind.  
_Satan just shook his head in disappointment before looking over to his older brother, who was wearing that same dumb smirk on his face. He secretly wished for Lucifer's face to get stuck like that so his brother could see how stupid it was.   
"Lucifer, do you think that it was wise to leave Mammon alone with (First Name)? There seems to be a lot of animosity between the two of them." Diavolo had gotten his D.D.D. out again, he wanted to send their newest exchange student a message while the thought was still fresh in his head.   
"Mammon seems to fare well at school and at the House of Lamentation, where a lot of his disputes run far deeper than whatever problem he and (First Name) seem to have... I can't give any testament as to what sort of person she is, though. I'm hoping that we got a bad first impression of her- she seemed to have some promise, but sadly, not much."  
"Darn!" The dark-haired boy gasped after hearing Diavolo's exclamation, only for the latter to laugh and show off his phone screen as if it were an explanation.   
"I accidentally sent (First Name) the wrong emoticon! Isn't that funny?"  
_He had me worried for a second. I assume that my words didn't shock Diavolo because he's having similar thoughts? I suppose that we can only wait and let time tell us about her._  
Lucifer crossed his arms and sighed dejectedly- he wished that his overall impression of her was better, although even he had to admit that she had her moments. He wanted to believe that she would have more moments like that as he got better acquainted with her. 

* * *

(First Name) felt the D.D.D. ring in her purse, and used her free hand to fish it out. For a few seconds, she felt her heart race because she had no idea as to who could have possibly been texting her, before realizing that it was none other than Lord Diavolo. He mentioned something about messaging her earlier.  
**Diavolo: This is my account.  
Diavolo: Feel free to send me a message at any time.   
**Her face paled after seeing the emoticon he sent- it was of a three-legged crow that seemed to be yelling and had purple marks of anger around it.   
_Did I already do something to make him mad? Aw shit... I hate it here.  
_Before she could respond to his message, she was rushed by another flurry of texts from the Demon Lord.   
**Diavolo: Oh sorry.  
Diavolo: I haven't gotten used to this yet.   
Diavolo: You see, Lucifer is the only demon who sends me messages...  
**The emoji he was intending to send was of a purple cat with green horns smiling alongside a small ball of fluff, which also had horns and was smiling.   
**Diavolo: That's the one I wanted to send you!  
**After seeing his incoming texts, she couldn't help but smile- partially because she was relieved and partially because he texted like someone's grandfather. Mammon looked over to her, rolling his eyes and groaning when he saw how she was grinning at her phone like some idiot. If he didn't know any better, he would've figured that she was texting her boyfriend or something like that.   
_Why am I the one that she's picking on? I didn't even do whatever she said I did! I wouldn't even steal a pair of shoes unless I could sell them for a hefty profit, everyone knows that... She already seems to be getting **real** cozy with my brothers, why am I an exception to that? Because she thinks that I did something that I didn't do? It ain't right!_  
While trying to turn a corner, he accidentally bumped into (First Name), her previously radiant expression contorting into one of enraged disgust. She put her D.D.D. back into her purse and flared her nostrils, before tilting her chin back, giving him the very same, imperious look that she'd given him earlier.  
He stopped dead in his tracks and scowled, allowing his gaze to find itself on the ground after accidentally meeting hers- there was something about it that wasn't right; he got the same feeling from her stare that he did from Lucifer's whenever he got in trouble for something. If she were more physical with him, she would've been just as bad as Lucifer, in his opinion.  
"What are you doing all of that for?" Mammon put his hands on his hips, scrunching his face up in anger, but none of that had the same effect since he wouldn't look her in the eye.   
"Aren't you going to apologize for bumping into me?" His head jolted back after hearing this, each individual word of that sentence felt like a slap in the face, he couldn't accept the fact that some human had the audacity to act so arrogant and entitled with him.   
"Huh? Not until ya 'pologize for telling everyone that I stole from you when I didn't! Don'tcha have something in the human world like innocent until proven guilty?... I swear I didn't take your damn shoes!"  
_Why isn't he going to admit to it? He's acting like I couldn't see his stupid face when he stole them from me... Does he think I'm some dumbass that he can trip up? Ugh, that pisses me off!_  
"Well, we're not in the human world right now, are we, genius? And besides, I don't trust you." She narrowed her eyes at him, only to cut him off as soon as she saw him open his mouth to say something.   
"Whatever. Just take me to your house so I can ignore you for the rest of the year."  
_This is torture! It's even worse than being hung upside down by Lucifer or being cut up into pieces... Is she really going to be here for a year? Maybe someone will eat her if I'm lucky, but with my luck, I doubt that..._

* * *

A tense silence washed over the pair until Mammon started to introduce the exchange student to the House of Lamentation; it shocked him, he half-expected her to marvel at the house's size when she caught sight of it and was certain she was going to say something mean when he was having difficulties opening the house's gate, but not even a single word came from her.  
He wasn't certain if he appreciated this silence, because she wasn't giving him an attitude, or if he was terrified of it- there was a looming possibility that she was planning something to exact her revenge on him. Either way, going for so long without hearing her deprecating comments was more than enough time for him to repair his ego.   
"This is the House of Lamentation, it's one of the dorms at RAD... Well, it's not just one of the dorms- it's the dorm reserved for student council members." He growled lowly after thinking about his brothers and looked to the girl, before starting to go on another one of his rants.  
"Y'know... Lucifer, Asmo, and the others take every chance they can get to insult me. Callin' me scum, sayin' that I'm a money-grabber and stuff, but I'm an officer on the student council, same as them. The elite of the elite, the top of the RAD social pyramid!" He cleared his throat and beamed at the girl, before continuing to talk about himself.   
"In other words, I'm a big shot- a _REAL_ big shot! Like, even regular big shots are impressed by what a big shot I am. So don't you go thinking that I'm some ordinary demon. I'm nothing like those other peons walking the halls here." (First Name) started to tune out at this point, she was tired of his so-called house tour- it was obvious that he just wanted to hear himself talk.   
_Aren't Lucifer and Asmodeus right then? If he's not above stealing my shoes or taking money from others, he's literally scum... He's trying so hard to make himself feel better right now. It's really sad to watch...  
_"Hey! Are you gonna stand there and do nothing, or are you gonna come up to see your room?"   
"I'm coming, leave me alone!" She made a sour face before sauntering up the stairs, if he was going to yell at her for lagging behind, she was going to waste his time.  
Mammon noted how she was stopping to look around the entryway and even marvel at the artwork in it, which she didn't do when they were walking into the House of Lamentation. He figured that she was doing all of this on purpose, which only raised his ire- his patience with her was running thin.   
"You're _really_ taking your time- aren'tcha?"  
"Yeah, maybe you should stop being a little bitch about how slow I am."   
"Oi, don't say that! I'm so kind and generous- in fact, I'm so kind and generous that I'm going to offer you a piece of my famed advice right now, so ya better clean the wax out of your ears and listen up!" He frowned at the girl after he rolled her eyes at him, which was only infinitesimally better than her insults, but better nonetheless.   
"You better be listenin' to me, if you want to survive for even a day in the Devildom. If it **_ever_** looks like a demon is about to attack you, run away... Either that or die."   
"How about this? I vote for YOU to die, Mammon!"


	4. ~Chapter Three~

"D'ah- Levi!" Mammon lurched back in shock after hearing his brother's exclamation, not only was Levi's presence unexpected but his words too, he hadn't the slightest clue as to why he was upset with him this time.   
The exchange student couldn't help but find herself interested in the events that were transpiring in front of her, especially because it seemed like a fight was going to break out between the two. She tilted her head to gawk at the purple-haired stranger, her discernible interest giving the other boy an idea he thought to be genius.  
"...Uh, l-listen up, human! This here is Leviathan, the Avatar of Envy- he's the third oldest of us brothers. Since his name's sorta hard to say, you can call him Levi! Okay then, let's move on-" He got interrupted by his younger brother, who saw right through his plan- he wasn't going to let him get away with it.   
_How stupid does Mammon think I am? It's offensive that he thinks he can outsmart me- and use some normie as bait! It should be impossible for someone to be that much of an idiot...  
_"Mammon, give me back my money. Then crawl in a hole and die."  
"Come on- I told you I'd get it to you! I just need a little more time... And you still want me to die even after I give it back? That's real harsh, Levi!" The white-haired boy held his head down and frowned, everyone was ganging up on him today and he felt as though he was completely powerless against it.  
He was used to being tormented by his brothers, along with the witches, but even some random human was getting in on this, which dealt a tremendous blow to his pride. Mammon felt his face chest tighten and the lump in his throat grow, which caught him off-guard because he didn't think he was that upset. Then again, this was the worst day he'd had in a while, and on top of that, he still didn't know how to handle when things didn't go his way.  
"You need a little time? How much more?"   
"A little more, okay? A little more means a little more!" After hearing his older brother snap in response, Levi rolled his eyes and grimaced. His brother's yelling wasn't going to stop him from getting his money back, especially not now, when he needed it the most.   
"You've been telling me that for the last 200 years, Mammon."   
"Hey! It hasn't been 200 years! It's been 260! Get it right, Levi!"  
_That doesn't make what he's saying any better? Does he think he's doing something by saying he hasn't repaid his debt to Levi in 260 years?... Get a load of this fucking idiot.  
_(First Name) sighed despondently and allowed her chin to dip down to her chest, she couldn't bring herself to even catch sight of either boy; the second-hand embarrassment was too much for her to bear, they were just so stupid. Upon hearing his brother's remark, it seemed as though Levi started to short-circuit, not only did he scrunch up his face out of sheer disgust, but he started to stammer incoherently until he could form some half-thoughts.   
"Unbelievable! Seriously Mammon, you're-"  
"I'm what? Scum? Is that what you're going to say?" Mammon seethed through his clenched teeth and put his hands on his hips, compared to what was said to him earlier, being called scum was nothing.   
"-you're a lowlife and a waste of space."  
"Hey! Come on, that's even worse!"   
"Whatever... Just give me back my money. I need it to buy the Blu-ray box set of _Journey to the Devildom: The Tale of a Little She-Devil and Her Reluctant Companion_ \- the initial round of copies include promotional tickets to a live event as a special bonus!"  
"I've got no idea what you're even talking about Levi, but it doesn't matter! Because I don't even have any money to give you. How am I supposed to give back money I don't have- huh?!" He shrugged off Levi's complaints, his voice assuming a more defensive tone as he realized that an argument was going to arise out of this.   
"So then, you're telling me you refuse to pay me back?"   
"What? You looking for a fight, is that it?"   
_Why is everyone tryin' to rile me up today? I haven't done anything wrong- this ain't fair! I was having such a good week, too, what the hell happened to my luck?_

* * *

Mammon whined in distress, realizing that he had to use his last resort, but the chances that she would cooperate with him were abysmal. He looked over to (First Name) and made pleading eyes at her, only for her to wrinkle her nose in repugnance. The very fact that he seemed to turn to her for help sent a frenzied heat through her body that only added onto her existing discontent.  
_Why is he looking over to me? Does he actually think I'm going to help him or something? The nerve... He's a dumb bitch if he thinks that I'm going to come to his rescue- I hope Levi rips him into pieces._  
After seeing her take a tremoring breath and open her mouth to say something, he felt as though his heart dropped into his queasy stomach, she hadn't uttered a kind word directed towards him since their meeting; this was going to be no exception to that.   
"You have a lot of gall to look to me for help you know?... I think Levi's right! You are a lowlife-"  
"Hey! Don't call me a lowlife!"  
"I wasn't done speaking." She snarled at him, only to grumble offendedly when he continued to speak with that undeservingly authoritative tone of his.   
"Listen, human. You remember my advice from before about what to do when demons attack? Well, you're about to witness that for real. So... time for you to die, because if it's either you or me, it ain't gonna be me!" In (First Name)'s opinion, the most insulting part about his words was not the fact he was going to leave her for dead, which she half-expected, but the fact that he paid no notice to what she said.  
Levi narrowed his eyes as he mulled over his older brother's words- he thought back to the advice Mammon had "so generously" bestowed upon the human and found himself puzzled. He was certain that there was another part of whatever he'd told her earlier.   
"Hold on. I thought your advice was to either run away or-" He barely caught a glimpse of the blur in his peripheral vision, but had seen enough of it to recognize that it was his brother running off- just so he could avoid dealing with this confrontation.  
"...Wh...dammit, Mammon! That ass- he ran off!" While this had happened so many times that he shouldn't have been phased by it, he couldn't help but find himself incensed by Mammon's inability to take responsibility for his own actions; he needed his money back.  
_I can't believe he'd stoop so low! It was bad enough that I thought he was going to use this human as bait- but to actually do it?... I'm going to take my money from him and KILL him the next time I see him!_  
The purple-haired boy started huffing and puffing out of vexation, before examining the girl, who was wearing a wrathful expression on her face. He let out one last breath and turned to (First Name), figuring that he could work something out with her.  
"Do you realize what just happened? Mammon used you a distraction to get away from me- or maybe I should say he used you as a _sacrifice_... I'll admit that Mammon is one of the scummiest scumbags you'll ever meet- a total lowlife. But still, that was pretty dumb of you letting him use you like that." Levi sighed in exasperation, not allowing her to get a word in before he continued, much to her annoyance.   
"This is EXACTLY why humans are-" He cut himself off mid-sentence, a devious grin curling his lips up as soon as he thought of something.   
"Wait a second... Humans- yes, that's it... Suddenly, I've got an idea. Listen, are you free right now? Of course, you are. You've gotta be, right?" As soon as he saw the corner of her lip twitch down, he violently shook his head.   
"You know what? Nevermind. Either way, you're coming with me." 

* * *

So much was happening that (First Name) barely found herself able to think, the buzzing of her D.D.D. interrupting an incoming stream of thought. As soon as she saw that it was none other than "the Great Mammon", she groaned loudly- he was rather bold to be messaging her after what happened.   
**Mammon: Heya, I suddenly remember I have some business I gotta take care of. So, if ya need something, just ask Levi.  
**He sent a cutesy emoji after that, of a winking red devil with some stars, as if that was going to make her feel any better about the fact he was an inconsiderate dumbass. The next time she saw him, she was going to kill him, if somebody else hadn't already beat her to it.   
**Mammon: Oh, and just to make sure... Don't go around tellin' stuff to Lucifer, ya got that?  
**After seeing the bird emoji he sent with that, she cursed under her breath and put her D.D.D. back into her purse. His miserable attempts at being threatening over text not only failed to intimidate her, but they also supplemented her existing animosity towards him.  
Levi turned around, feeling his face start to burn up after glancing over at her- she wasn't paying attention to him, and instead had her nose buried in her phone, for whatever reason. He was about to shout for her to focus on him, but she put the device back and quickly made eye contact with him, taking notice of the fact he had been waiting for her.   
Her eyes widened and she absentmindedly used her free hand to fiddle with the hem of her skirt as she apologized for not realizing earlier. She was being more tolerant of Levi than the other brothers, as it seemed that they had a common enemy- none other than that thief Mammon.   
"Oh, my bad, Levi... I got a text-"   
"Whatever, let's just-" The Avatar of Envy had been interrupted by a fit of coughing; it began because he observed that she was playing with the end of her skirt and then had taken notice of how short it was. It was a shock that she was able to walk all the way to the House of Lamentation without being bothered by anyone, regardless of if his idiot brother accompanied her or not.   
(First Name) felt her arm grow stiff after feeling the instrument's weight in her hand, pressing her lips together as she bent her elbow.  
"Levi-"   
"What?" She frowned at him for being so snippy with her; if he was going to act like this with her, she had no difficulty returning the sentiment, and then some.  
"Can I see my room? I need to put my stuff away." Her voice darkened and she grew curter, which he didn't pick up on, his mind was in another place at the moment. 

* * *

"Here. You better make it quick-" (First Name) had set down her cello's case next to the doorway and threw her purse onto the bed, taking a quick once over of the room before looking over to Leviathan.   
"Why? Are we doing something now?"   
"Just follow me." He waved for her to follow him, finding himself pleasantly surprised by the fact she wasn't going to linger around for as long as he expected.  
The pair was completely silent during their short journey to Levi's room, although the silence wasn't filled with tension like the one between her and Mammon earlier. It was more comfortable, they were fine with not talking to one another, mostly because they were too invested in their individual thoughts.   
_My room looks really nice- like way nicer than my room back home. Also, I haven't seen a rug like that in ages, strange..._  
Her eyes flickered over to him, she decided to retreat back to her thinking after detecting that something was on his mind as well.   
_What are we going to do now? Does this have to do with Mammon? Whatever... Better I'm with Levi than that jackass... Even if he's kind of weird- why isn't he telling me what's going on?_  
The violet-haired boy allowed his ginger-colored eyes to frantically dart around the hallway as the two walked to his room; he was beyond paranoid that one of his brothers was going to jump out from a corner and run off to tell people that he was hanging around someone like her.  
_I can't believe I have to ask some normie for help to get my money back from Mammon- I didn't know getting it back from that jerkwad would be this hard... At least my idea is foolproof._  
He scanned the hallway one last time, before violently forcing the door to his room open; he grabbed the exchange student by the wrist and yanked her into the room before slamming it shut.  
"Hey! What was that about?" She barked at him as she rubbed her aching wrist, certain that he'd sprained it by grabbing her so roughly.   
His strength didn't shock her, he was a demon, meaning his physical capabilities were expected to be far greater than hers, although she couldn't help but be irked by the fact he'd done that. She wanted to be more understanding with Levi because he didn't seem to be as intolerable as Mammon, but her patience was wearing thin.  
"...What's that now? You want to know why I looked around to see if anyone was watching before I closed the door?" Leviathan's expression of neutrality twisted up into one of repulsion after he snorted at her; she was so stupid, in his opinion the answer should've been obvious enough.   
"Why do you think I did it? Isn't it obvious! Imagine what would happen if someone saw me inviting _you_ into my room! A human who doesn't even look like an otaku, but a _**normie!**_ You know what people would say, **right**?"  
A flash of discomfort shot through her chest that made her firm her jaw in response; any good impression she had of the third oldest brother was decimated by that single sentence. Not only was he was as unbearable to deal with as his older brother, but he was also awkward with nonexistent social skills.   
(First Name) turned her body towards the door and allowed her lips to curl down into a glower, a wry laugh escaping her mouth as she marveled at how ludicrous this situation was.   
"What? Don't tell me that you're worried about people gossiping or something..." He wasn't offended by the fact her words were dripping with patronizing derision, but rather that she assumed he would be sent into a downward spiral over something as trivial as gossip.  
Levi mumbled something under his breath, allowing his eyes to wander and take a peek at the exposed part of the girl's legs as she remained turned away from him. He unintentionally met her gaze, feeling his face turn red-hot upon thinking back to her query.   
The boy used the back of his hand to cover his mouth and closed his eyes- he couldn't bear to look at her without growing flustered and was worried that he was going to make a weird expression or something while talking to her; her question really threw him for a loop.   
"Of... Of c-c-c... Of c-course not! That... Th-that's crazy! There's room in my heart for only one person, and she's animated! I'll always stay faithful to my dear, sweet Ruri-chan, always!" He turned to face her, a newfound, incandescent rage present in his eyes as he worked himself up over this hypothetical gossip.   
"Why would people gossip? I mean, me and some non-otaku- some normie? And not only that, a _three-dimensional_ one from the real world?! It's insane, that's what it is!" 

* * *

_I can't believe that I thought he was the cooler brother... All he does is drool over anime girls and act like some social outcast. Disgusting.  
_(First Name) grumbled disappointedly, before turning to face his bookshelves, she would've done something rash if she had to look at the lilac-haired creep for much longer. She hummed in appreciation upon noting that they were full of hardcover books that looked like encyclopedias, only to falter after noticing the title on one of them: _The Tale of the Seven Lords: The Lord of Shadow Awakens.  
These aren't educational books- this is more of his dumb nerd shit... The Tale of the Seven Lords? Is this the same as that fantasy series that Vernon and Mariko read?  
_Levi crept up behind the girl after witnessing her slide her fingernail down the spine of one of his books; he couldn't help but worry. Normies didn't know how to properly preserve such masterpieces, which is why he was hesitant to lend them to even his brothers.   
"What is it, human? What're you looking at?" He gasped after surveying the book's title, could it have been that she was a fan as well?   
"Wait, that looks like... _The Tale of the Seven Lords_. Are you a fan of that, too?" His overjoyed smile returned, but it wasn't going to stay for very long.  
"No-"  
"...Excuse me? You don't know TSL? And you call yourself a human? Just how clueless are you? How could you not know!" Before he could wallow in this exasperated state for too long, he decided to do his good deed for the month and introduce the human to the best book series of all time.   
"Just the fact that you don't know TSL alone is proof that you've been wasting your life! So, I'm going to do you a favor and teach you about TSL. Make sure you pay attention!" 

* * *

"...Check it out. See that goldfish in the fish tank there? He's actually named Henry! I love TSL so much that I couldn't help naming him after the main character..." While (First Name) was usually invested when people went on long, passionate rambles about their interests, there wasn't anything especially captivating about TSL.   
It wasn't limited to Levi, both Vernon and Mariko had tried introducing her to the series, but in her opinion, it seemed like any other fantasy saga, so it didn't capture her attention. She periodically tuned in and out of the demon's longwinded lecture, finding herself especially discomfited during the parts she was tuned in for; Levi didn't just like the book, what he had was a terrible fanaticism- it rivaled that of the Scientologists on Earth.   
_Mariko and Vernon like this series too, but they don't act like this- don't tell me he **actually** named his pet fish after the novel's protagonist... I guess it's not that bad. Mariko had that dog named after that Upton Sinclair character... Huh? Did I hear that right? Did he say he's **jealous** of humans for having anime streaming services and stuff? I doubt he would give up his powers and demon status for that, though... Would he?   
_"Actually- I want to _be_ Henry!" After making this exclamation, Levi looked over to the exchange student, who had given him a judgmental look; her expression articulating the abhorrence that verbal insults failed to convey.   
"Hey, don't make that face with me!" He could feel the icy sweat build up on the base of his throat, his nerves causing him to stumble over his next words.  
"B-but still! I'm free to fantasize about w-whatever I want, now aren't I?" Labored wheezes and pants followed his words. He didn't realize he'd done so much talking and clutched his burning chest as he tried to get his breathing back to normal.  
"Guess I've done a little too much talking. My throat hurts..." After barely managing to breathily exhale his words, he started to huff with difficulty- was he _really_ this out of shape? 

* * *

_If he weren't such a rude bastard, I would pity him- he's so socially inept... Is this what I was called here for? So he can tell me about his little book series? God, I almost feel sorry for him...  
_Levi had seen a semi-concerned look wash across her face, he groaned defeatedly in response; it wasn't hard for him to tell what she was thinking. After all, the face she had worn mirrored that of one of his favorite anime characters, right before that character went on to mercy kill their brother. It was incredulous, that some lowly human felt sorry for _**him**_ ; he couldn't help but wonder why, though.  
"...All right, enough. This is starting to depress me, I didn't bring you here to tell you about TSL."  
"Well-" He winced and shook his head, cutting the girl off before she could say anything more.   
"I don't think there's any harm in just coming out and saying what you already know is true: Mammon is a complete and utter scumbag... It's very important that you understand this. So I'll say it one more time."  
_Geez, is that really necessary? Mammon is a scumbag, but I think Levi's just being dramatic at this point...  
_"Mammon is a _**hopeless, worthless scumbag**_. I lent that scumbag money, and now I want him to pay me back, but being the scumbag he is, he won't do it." His expression softened as he thought back to the box set he wanted to buy, which is what made him exceptionally upset about being unable to get his money.  
"I wish I could force him to, but despite what a rotten waste of space he is, Mammon's still the second oldest- as the third oldest, no matter how hard I try, I don't stand a chance against him."  
"Wait... How did this even start?"   
"You say you want to know how Mammon and I first became enemies? Well, it's a long story, but sure. I'll tell you, human." Despite however offputting he was, she couldn't help but admit that she was looking forward to hearing this story, it was bound to be good if it created a sibling rivalry of this magnitude.  
(First Name) started to sulk as he started off the story by mentioning some promotional campaign at a convenience store, where his older brother won some figurine that he would've liked to have. She already knew that the story wasn't going to live up to her expectations of it and that their dispute was over something dumb.   
In summary, Mammon didn't give Leviathan a Seraphina figurine and left it with all the other trash in his room, which the latter discovered after sneaking around during the night. As a result, he was sent into a blinding rage and kicked his older brother, who used a piledriver to slam him against the floor headfirst and knocked him unconscious.   
At this point, she stopped listening, because Levi was whining about how his brother slept in the naked, which he considered to be the most disturbing part about that whole ordeal; he was just playing up one altercation that he had with Mammon in the same way she had been. 

* * *

"But if say, a human made a pact with Mammon, and bound him to their service, then he'd have to do whatever that human told him to!" Her ears perked up at the mention of the word pact since it meant that he was done ranting about how his brother slept in the nude, but she had stopped listening for so long that she was hopelessly lost; she had no idea as to what any of this meant. After she raised an eyebrow at the boy, he further elaborated on what forging such pact would entail.  
"Which means if you make a pact with Mammon and then ordered him to give me back my money, he wouldn't have any choice but to do it!" Levi burst out in joyous laughter, although she was still perplexed; he was going on about her making a pact, but she didn't know the first thing about them.  
"Okay... But what's a pact?"  
"A pact, with a demon..." When he noticed that she still wasn't getting the concept, he couldn't help but grunt- this was more than just a surprise for him.  
_Is she really a human? Normies like her should know about this better than anyone else!... All of those steamy romance books and movies about demons are popular in the human world, aren't they? She has to be pulling my leg right now.  
_"Haven't you seen that in the movies and such? The demon lends his strength to a human to make their wish come true in exchange for their soul." While that cleared up what exactly a pact was, (First Name) couldn't say that she was interested in the very least.   
"And why would I do that? I have no reason to help you, and I'm not giving my soul to anyone- especially not Mammon! Just who do you think I am?" She scoffed in obvious offense; the very notion of forfeiting her soul to some degenerate like Mammon was enough to send her into a paroxysm of hysterical cackling.  
There was something about her reaction that was terrifyingly abnormal, although he couldn't pinpoint what exactly. All that the third oldest brother knew was that chills rushed down his spine after hearing whatever noises she was making, he would have to calm her down if he wanted them to stop.   
Levi grabbed her bicep and gave her a worried grin as he tried reassuring her that she didn't have to give her soul up in order to make a pact, nervous beads of sweat forming on his forehead and on the nape of his neck while he'd done so. He felt the room's stress start to dissipate, letting go of her as he resumed his discussion of the pact.  
"But, well, you need to give _something_ to the demon to make it worth the exchange, so it's pretty much inevitable." The stable rhythm of the rise and fall of her chest was thrown into disarray as she started hyperventilating; was there a way to get out of this without surrendering her soul?   
"If you don't want to give up your soul, then I'll tell you how you can negotiate with Mammon...What's important is that I have a plan, and I'm going to explain it to you now, so shut up and listen."

* * *

_What's happening right now? Do I or do I not have to give my soul up to Mammon? Why do I have to make a pact with him and help Levi get his money back? I don't even like Levi, let alone want to help him!... Will he eat me if I don't do this?  
_While such impudence would have usually sent (First Name) into a fit of volatile, ungovernable rage, she was unable to find herself upset in light of this series of events. She was far too disoriented to care about the fact that someone had told her to shut up and had taken up such a tone with her.  
Of course, this didn't go without notice. Despite the short amount of time that Levi had known the girl, he could tell that silence wasn't a typical reaction for her- she was dumbfounded. The Avatar of Envy had waited for the human to come down from her dizzying train of thought before proceeding to explain himself.   
"If you just walk up to Mammon and ask him to make a pact with you, he'll never agree... No, you need some leverage, a bargaining chip, which is why you're going to offer him something in return- something he wants _so_ badly that he'd do _**anything**_ to get it."  
She could feel herself growing lightheaded upon hearing these words, nothing good was going to come out of this; that much she was certain of.


End file.
